Silver Orchid
by Gaiagirl33
Summary: She thought that she was going to be unhappy for the rest of her life until she was rescued by a masked shinobi. OC. Slight AU. Please read and review. Rating may change later in story.
1. Chapter 1

Silver Orchid

All characters will wear what was worn in the anime and for all the Sakura fans; I'm sorry but in order for this fic. to work I am replacing her with my OC. I love Sakura I just really want to introduce my OC and she was in the way, I'm really sorry. Mizuki's history and personality will be introduced through out the story so I won't bother writing it all now. I do not own Naruto all rights go to Masashi _Kishimoto_I only own Mizuki. This is slightly AU so if you don't like that then this is not the fic for you. This is my first attempt at a mature fic and I hope that some people will like it.

Chapter One: Searching

Alone. Always alone. Ever since she left me. Pain. I know only pain. I had finally reached my sixth summer. Three since _she_ left. I used to call _her_ by a different name. Mother. But that's not what _she_ is. Mothers stay and care and love. Not leave with a smile plastered on their face as they turn away from their daughter's forever.

It's not like she left without teaching me something. She made sure that I could speak and read and write to a degree. The only material things she left me was an envelope that I couldn't open and a silver stick that had no purpose from what I can tell. But other than that she left me in the dark while she ran off to enjoy the light. Leaving me with some bitter spinster that lives in the past, to a time when she could fly on the dance floor.

The only places I find joy anymore is at the swings, going higher and higher until it feels like I can almost touch the clouds. Its always best during the summer, the sky is just so…blue it seems to go on forever.

However since it's summer, all of the kids who go to school are let loose onto the town, running amok in society. Especially them. The ones who try to make me hurt more than I already do.

Sadly the swings are where they always find me ruining my few moments of peace. It starts with the yelling. They always have to do that first, like their words hurt me more than their fists do.

"Demon!" "Witch!" "Spawn of the Devil!" that one was always my favorite. As if, the Devil would have left me alone to starve.

When I tried to run they cornered me, surrounding me, caging me in like the dog they believed me to be. The loudest ones in front smelling of silk and snot, keeping my attention directed to them as the larger ones who smelled more like what you find in a barn, assembled behind me.

That's when it would start. When the noisy ones were busy keeping their sneering faces in front of me, the blows to my back would start.

I braced myself for what I knew would happen. I started thinking to what I would do when they finally left me alone. Before they could even leave the outskirts of the swings my wounds would be healed. Then I could go and maybe curl into my worn out mattress before the old hag would wake me up to dust old dance trophies that had probably not been touched since they were won. The studio was full of them. 'But it's better than the streets' I assured myself.

But that was when I realized that no hits had been made yet. Maybe they had forgotten what they were doing. Wouldn't be the first time, they seemed so fickle about something that caused so much pain on my behalf.

'Who am I to complain, maybe this way I can beg some of those beefy noodles from that old man again' practically drooling at the prospect.

That's when I looked up at the leader of the group. 'Well that's not something you get to see everyday'

I assume he was the leader because he was always the loudest. I think he may have been something like the town's leader's son. A brat, even when he wasn't beating innocent six year olds.

He was being held by the scruff of his neck by some masked…….man?


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone. I am redoing this chapter a little because I didn't like how some of it sounded. Any way I do not own Naruto and also I would like to thank my cousin, you know who you are, without her this whole story wouldn't be worth reading. I will update the next two chapters this week. Thank god for spring break. Well here is the redone chapter hope you like it. Please Read and Review.

_______________________Look a line o/_\0________________________________________________

_I assume he was the leader because he was always the loudest. I think he may have been something like the town's leader's son. A brat, even when he wasn't beating innocent six year olds._

_He was being held by the scruff of his neck by some masked…….man?_

He looked frozen, like someone threw ice water on his face. Completely petrified. 'He deserves it' the meaner side of me thought. Then the brat started to struggle in the masked man…….girl…..um….person's grip.

"Let me go! My father is on the village council, he'll have your head if you don't let me go!" He squealed.

'Like the little pig he is' I mused, as his futile struggles increased. The whole time the masked person stayed impassive, holding the bully at arms length completely unaffected by his struggles and threats.

"What kind of son are you, if you beat children that are apart of your father's village?" yup definitely a woman. No man could have the voice and sense of an angel.

"Not her! She's just some little orphan bitch! She is a demon, my dad said so and he also said she was a hazard to the village. We're doing my father a favor by getting rid of her before she kills everyone else first!" resuming his struggles, the silk swaddled piglet tried to signal his friends to help him. 'Fat chance, the cowards.'

"If she would actually die" muttered the biggest one behind me. I heard the shift of gravel as some of the kids stepped back. Separating themselves from their leader, losing the courage they had as their leader struggled to get away.

"A demon" the angel said "is a being that inflicts cruelties upon others for the sheer fun of it. This girl is no demon, merely the victim of a bully's abuse. Now boy, I strongly suggest you go to your father and ask for forgiveness. Or I could show you what a real demon could do to you." Voice turned to ice as she loosened her grip and the brat fell unceremoniously on his rump, landing in the dirt with a squeak.

Scrambling to his feet, he stuttered out "You...You just wait...un…until I tell my da…dad!" Losing the last bit of dignity he had, he started to cry and ran as if the hounds of hell were at his heels, snot running down his face and everything. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen. With their leader running for the hills, the others quickly scattered, leaving me alone with the masked stranger.

We stood in silence, regarding each other with an appraising air. Or at least I thought so, couldn't really tell with the whole mask thing.

As the silence stretched on I took note of this masked woman appearance, making sure not to leave out any details. Long black hair hanging in strands on both sides of the mask, the rest held up in a bun with a white cap covering it. The mask hiding her identity was white with a red swirl going along the bottom, a strange symbol at the top, four squiggly lines in a group. 'Odd' I thought, 'I wonder what it means'. A green robe and knee length pants completed the strange look. 'Maybe it's a new fashion? I thought, completely flabbergasted at the strange appearance.

The silence, though could not last forever. "Are you alright?" She asked calmly, turning to face me fully. "Your name, it's Mizuki isn't it?"

'Run' I told myself 'why would she know your name, she wants something and she could be one of those women.' The ones who picked young girls off the streets, words filled with pretty promises of a new life, not mentioning it would be a life spent on your back. Keeping you as a slave until you were no longer useful.

With that firmly in my mind, all of my instincts of survival told me to get away. I would not let myself become apart of that type of life. But I couldn't just run away, she saved me. Plus I had a feeling that no matter how fast I ran she would catch up with no problem and I wouldn't stand a chance in a fight.

Hesitantly I stood up from my previously crouched position, trying to gain my voice. "Yes. Yes I'm alright. My name is…Mizuki….Mizuki Kuran. I want to thank you for stopping them." I said, starting to turn away but something stuck on my conscience. "However," stopping and turning back to look at her "that was probably not a good idea, to save me. The brat will hold true to his promise, he'll tell his father and there will be consequences. I'm sorry, but saving me will cause you a great inconvenience, you will not die but…..there will be injury. I wasn't worth your trouble to save." Maybe if I was polite she would take the hint and leave before she was hurt. Maybe.

"I do not fear the wrath of a man who cannot even raise a decent son" she stated. Oh well, maybe they will go easy on her since she's a girl. I doubt it but hey, I warned her.

'Ok you did your good deed for the day, now it is really time to go.' I didn't like the way she was handling this. A normal woman would have left, this reaction was unnatural. 'Everything about this masked woman is abnormal, now run before there is trouble' finally giving in to my instinct to run.

I turned away and was about to get the hell away when she spoke again from right behind me "Wait!" she said

. I felt her hand on my shoulder, stopping me from retreating any further. 'How did she move so fast?' I thought, she was at the least more than three feet away before. 'No way she is that fast!' I turned around, knowing that there would be no hope if I tried to run and fighting would be futile.

"I was told that you would be able to help me. My….friend was taken. I need to rescue him, he is in grave danger. Someone in town told me that the only one who could track him down would be a child named Mizuki and that is you. I can pay any amount if you are able to find him. We were…traveling together when some rouge nin from this town attacked him. I was away at the moment and could not help him. There is no information, no sign of him, anywhere and I desperately need to find him. Please….help me."

I looked up at her, the scent of ice and herbs overpowering my senses. Brown eyes looked down at me, wearing down my resolve. The mask was at her side, removed, probably meant to make me trust her. Damn, it was working I can't stand to see eyes filled with sadness; they remind me to much of my own eyes. And at that moment our eyes were the same, showing a soul filled with sadness and desperation. Desperate to be helped, to be saved. She needed my help and I needed to be saved. Damn it.

"What's your name?" I had to know, there was no way I would help someone I kept calling angel.

"Haku" she said. It meant white, I liked it.

Looking into the eyes of my new employer I said "I'll do it". Weren't there child labor laws against this sort of thing?

But it seemed to make her happy enough because her eyes changed to a warm brown and she uttered three words that would change my destiny forever.

"Come with me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ok I'm sorry to who ever is reading this that I haven't updated in forever. Some things have been going on and I just haven't had the time or inspiration to write more. However, with summer break being here, and almost over, I have the next 4 chapters already written and I'm ready to start updating again. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, if I did why would I be writing fanfictions of it?

_/^_\)_

"Here. He's located somewhere in this building."

"Are you sure? The man who hired us said that they were working alone, not…this."

"Look Haku-sama, the bandage you gave me had his scent, and from the place where he was ambushed that scent lead here. He entered but never exited, and we've circled the building twice already to double check. He is here! Now move! You are suffocating me!"

"Mizuki-chan you are not thinking about this from all the angles. He could have been taken underground and-"

"Haku-sama, if he was taken underground I would know. Tunnels need passageways for air, his scent would have been carried out, and I would notice it. Now, instead of questioning me, you should be making a plan to get your master back. Seriously, I may be young, but don't doubt the nose."

And on that note, I walked out into the street. Turning back to face the ally, I gave my employer a meaningful look . HE HIRED ME, and if he doubted my skills, then what was the point?

With a sigh, Haku stood and walked towards me. "You know, for a six year old you're awfully harsh, can't you try to be a little cute, or at least talk a little sweeter?" he said, stopping to stand beside me outside the steps of the town's council building, where I KNEW this "Zabuza-sama" was being held. But he must be nice enough to have raised a guy like Haku-sama. However, as nice as he is, that didn't stop him from being a bit dense. Maybe it was a guy thing?

"Aren't ninjas supposed to be good trackers or something? Who don't need the help of "harsh" six year-olds?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound as cute as possible.

I ran up the stairs of the building, when I heard him mutter something about "kids these days", and leaned against a wooden pillar waiting for him to catch up, since thirteen was so much older. Although I have to admit that his prettiness was a little confusing when it came to gender, but he couldn't be more than fourteen, tops. Earlier, when I had asked him, what his gender was he blushed slightly and informed me that he was "a man", thank you very much.

When he had taken me to the spot where his master was taken, a man named Zabuza Momochi, and the coppery smell of blood permeated the air, I knew that Haku-sama's master was dangerous. Most people wouldn't be able to make a ninja bleed, unless they were also ninja. This knowledge prompted me to, bluntly, ask Haku-sama if he and his traveling partner were ninjas. Call me what you like, but living on the streets taught you a few things. One of which was to know what you were getting into. Ninjas were known to be bad news, and it normally wasn't best for your health to associated with them.

Snapping out of my reverie, I looked up to see Haku-sama standing beside me, looking intently at the double doors that were the entrance to the building, the only entrance.

"Mizuki-chan, do you think that you could find his exact location from here?" The tone he was using now indicated his total seriousness about getting his master back. The playful sparkle was gone from his eyes, it was time to get down to business.

Thinking about his request, I took a deep breath of the air. The overpowering musk of old man with bad cologne was the first to affront my nose. Grimacing slightly, I sorted that smell aside and caught the smell citizens, each one different from the last. When mixed with the distracting smell of food and the gross smell of animal excrement, it seemed impossible to find the distinctive smell of old leather and peaches that was associated with Zabuza. But I couldn't let Haku-sama down, he saved me, so the least I could do was smell. I inched closer to the doors and took another big whiff. Success! It was a few days old but it was definitely there, the bad news though…

"Well, ummm … I can definitely smell that he went through the doors, but past them I can't smell anything. I would have to be in the building to determine the exact location." This meant that I would have to go with Haku-sama, who would, knowing my luck, have to fight to even get close to Zabuza. 'Damn it!'

"I see. Well Mizuki-chan," he turned toward me, a sweet smile on his lips, "I guess you'll get to see first hand the strength of ninja trained by Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sorry it took so long, school has been crazy and I haven't had the time or patience to type. However, I posted now, so my excuses don't matter. Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

And with those words, Haku pushed open the doors and strode in, but not before I heard him whisper, " But stay behind me". Walking quickly behind him, ignoring the small voice that told me to flee while I still could, I was surprised to see that the receptionist was gone and, for that matter, everyone else who normally haunted the lobby. I guess everyone was out to lunch.

A look from Haku reminded me that I had a job to do, not admire the scenery. So taking a deep breath, I wrinkled my nose at the intense smell of old men. Mentally gagging, I sifted through the odors, trying to discern Zabuza's scent through the see of smells. Turning to face a hallway I found it.

"That way". Haku took off so quickly he was a blur of green and brown, leaving me to struggle behind. I was _only _six, damn it, my legs weren't that long.

When we went round the hallway we were confronted by two doors. One oak and finely made, the other solid steel with a deadbolt across it. You can guess which one I checked first, but oddly enough, the only smell I detected was the smell of iron and the faintest hint at of old paper. Shrugging I walked to the next door and instantly froze. How could I not have smelled that before?

The whole door exuded the thick smell of blood but most importantly the smell of the man we had been searching for. I looked up at Haku, nodded toward the door, and quickly got behind him. This could be bad.

Haku approached the door, taking a quiet breath as he pulled four long metal needles from the confines of his shirt. Grasping the golden handle, he opened the door, scrunching his feminine nose at the smell of blood.

Sliding into the room, Haku looked around and quickly identified the source intense smell of blood.

Bodies were scattered helter-skelter across the room. I identified the remains of the council leader first; he was the closest to the door, with blood seeping from the gaping wound on his chest and a look of fear forever plastered on his face.

I stepped into the room and instantly regretted it. The smell assaulted my nostrils, causing me to vomit. Well, since I hadn't eaten that day it was more like dry heaving, but either way, it wasn't pleasant. Covering my nose with my hand, I looked up at Haku who was… smiling?

"What?" I shouted, but since my face was covered it sounded more like "Wooot?"

"Can't stand the sight of blood, eh, Mizuki-chan?"

Still smiling, he turned and kicked a body out of his way as he walked to the center of the room, looking over his shoulder trying to find the one responsible of this massacre.

"Can you tell where he went?" bending down he nudged a finger against one of the nearest bodies, he grimaced and wiped it against a clean part of the man's jacket and stood back up. " These guys haven't been dead long, ten minutes tops, so Zabuza-sama has to be close." Looking at me, he raised one delicate eyebrow as if to say 'Well, go on.'

Sighing, I moved my hands away from my mouth to speak properly and jumped over the body of a large man to get to Haku's side.

"Do you honestly think I can smell ANYTHING other than blood? There are at least twenty bodies in here and all of them are leaking tons of blood. It's not that I don't like the sight of blood, it's the smell! It's overpowering!"

Huffing, I turned to see that blood was splattered everywhere. Art that may have once been priceless was now drenched, forever marred. Looking around, I noticed something.

One portion of the wall on the back was devoid of even a speck of blood. Or art, for that matter. Even though there was a man covered in slashes, it seemed that this wall was excluded from the soaking.

"Ano…Haku-sama you might-"

"I see it, Mizuki-chan." He walked over, his eyes never wavering from the wall. He stopped, gently raising his hand to tap against the wall. Tap..Tap..Tap.

And I waited…..and waited. " Haku-sama, we may be able to find him if we-"

"Hush. I'm listening."

So I waited some more, after like five minutes, I heard it. Tap..Tap. He was behind the wall!

Smiling in triumph, Haku stepped back and I walked up behind him, trying to avoid the rather numerous puddles of blood soaking into the carpet. A thump was heard, followed by a slight scraping sound as the wall slid open.

"About damn time kid, almost thought you had forgotten about me," barked a gruff voice. I tried, I really tried to muster the courage to look over to see the man Haku had been desperately searching for, but I could not make myself move. His voice. His voice had a presence that left me stunned. This man had just slaughtered twenty people, so that was a bit much for me to deal with.

"Please forgive me, Zabuza-sama, I was unable to track you down as quickly as I would have liked. Actually I had to find an alternate means to find you, which is the reason why it took me a day, _'Oh crap, I think he is talking about me' _

"Za..Zabuza-sama! You're hurt! '_Phew. Distraction achieved'_

"Eh. When I had woken up, those idiots had me in shackles. Shackles! Barely drained my chakra and had my sword about ten feet away in plain sight. It shames me to no end that I was captured by a bunch of green punks. Anyway, when I woke up, the leader was able to make this before I got to him. There he is over there…and over there. Its nothing but a scratch kid, nothing to fuse over."

Now I HAD to see. I peeked around Haku to look at the man who not only killed the city's gang, but also its entire government.

He was lying against the wall inside the room. He was lightly tanned, with dark hair and eyes. Bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face. His body looked hard as a rock, with the muscles in his arms bulging just before the point of being grotesque. He wore a black headband commonly worn by shinobi. His entire appearance lived up to the ominous feeling his voice brought. This was a man who could kill twenty men and laugh at the aftermath.

"Who's the kid?"

'_Oh crap'_

"Ah…Zabuza-sama, this is Mizuki Kuran. She was the one who tracked you down so quickly. A useful child, who asked for some unusual payment in exchange for her services."

While the two were talking I finally found the "cut". Cut, my left hand. The wound went from the curve of his shoulder to just above the waistband of his striped pants, lazily oozing blood and further staining the carpet below him.

I…I wonder? Maybe if it works for me, it will work for him as well?

As Zabuza and Haku continued whispering to one another, I walked over to where the big sword was. I moved one of my hands off my nose, and slid my palm along the sharp edge of the blade.

"Hey! Kid don't touch that, you'll cut yourself!" I don't know who shouted, not that it really mattered at that point because a line of blood was already flowing down my arm. Oops.

After taking a deep breath of air, I brought my other hand down and pressed my thumb into the cut, attempting to keep the wound open since it was already trying to heal. Rushing over to Zabuza (who was looking quite a lot angrier than before), and ignoring the protests, I pressed my still bleeding hand into the wound, directly above his heart, praying that this plan worked and I didn't end up like the ones on the floor.

Until I was shoved back onto my butt, that is. It was understandable though, I would have done the same if some dirty, bleeding kid was shoving their hands on me.

Backing away, half expecting to get hit, and tuning out the angry shouts directed towards me, I stared at his cut. Moments later, I smiled to myself because my experiment was a success. The gash, which had been dripping blood on the floor, started to clot, and within ten seconds had closed, leaving behind smooth, tanned skin. '_Didn't even scar' _I thought, smugly putting my already healed hand over my nose again.

Even though the look on Zabuza's face was good (he allowed an eyebrow to raise and his eyes widen for like five seconds), the look on Haku's was ten times better (his jaw was almost hitting the floor). Turning to leave, I jumped over some of the bodies that littered the floor and looked over my shoulder at the exasperated pair to say "I'll be right back. Don't leave yet!"

I left the room, but not before hearing Zabuza chuckle and say to Haku "I think I like this kid."

Crossing the doorway and moving to the metal door that I had taken note of earlier, I twisted the unlocked handle. Smiling when the door swung open I leapt into the much cleaner, albeit dusty, room to gather some much needed air. Catching my breath and trying to wipe off the blood that had transferred from my hand to my face, I looked around the room and smiled. '_Jackpot'_ I thought picking up two neatly stacked bundles of ryo. Grabbing as many as I could pile into my ragged shirt and taking one last breath of clean air, I hurried back into the next room. Zabuza and a still semi-shocked Haku greeted me.

Remembering to smile like Haku told me to, though the rarely used movement hurt my mouth, I dug out one of the bundles from my makeshift apron and tossed it across the room to land on the floor at Zabuza's feet I said, "There. Now there should be no question that you will take me with you. I wan- no need to leave this place. Please Zabuza-sama, Haku-sama take me with you on your travels and train me. Teach me to be strong so that I will never be at the mercy of anyone again. I will do all that you ask of me and never complain. I'm begging. Please." It was all I could do to not cry, the mere thought of leaving filled me with so much happiness I could not help but feel my eyes fill with tears. If he didn't say yes I would have to live the rest of my life here, I would never survive on my own. This was my only shot.

Zabuza eyed the money on the floor, bending over as he snatched it up, weighing it lightly in his massive hands. Crinkling his eyes slightly, in what I guess would be the evidence of a smile, he walked over, took his sword from against the wall, and slid it quickly and precisely into its sheath with one hand, still holding the money, his crinkle got a mite bigger.

"Well, then. Seems I have no choice. Come on, kid," he said.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked over at Haku, who was smiling enough to brighten both his face and the room. Covering my nose again to take a breath, I said, " Great, so can we leave this room now? I really need to breathe."

Chuckling, Zabuza ruffled my dirty gray hair. I called it gray but honestly I cannot even remember the last time I could wash it, much less what color it was originally. I think he could tell that my hair was filthy, too, because he wrinkled his nose but at least he was still smiling.

"Sounds like a plan, kid. Haku, do you have the scroll?"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama"

"Good. You get the cash and I'll get the kid's stuff. We leave in an hour at the designated spot."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama. Be safe, Mizuki-chan." Haku said, smiling at me again before swiftly leaving the room.

"Zabuza-sama. I don't think that we have to waste that much time. I only own three things." I was anxious to leave, besides it's not like I wanted to keep any souvenirs from my personal hell.

"Listen, kid," he said, turning and piercing me with his gaze." I said an hour and I meant it. You said you would listen, now listen; I'm not going to be taking with me no dirty-ass kid from the street with me. We will get your things and get you clean. Is that clear?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes, sir."

"Good." And then he lifted me on to his tall shoulder and leaped out a window. Fun times, good thing I'm not afraid of heights. I pointed him towards the dance studio, watching as the civilians below us looked up in awe and surprise as we jumped from rooftop to rooftop. A girl could get used to this.

Within two minutes, we were at the front door of the dilapidated building. Quickly jumping down from his shoulder, I shoved open the door and ran up the stairs as fast as I could to get to the backroom where my mattress was placed, praying that the hag had gone out today.

'_I am really leaving!' _I thought. '_I'm going to prove to everyone that I am no monster!' _I jumped onto my lumpy mattress, avoiding the spring that stuck out on the left side, in joy. I dug my hand into the side where I had laid my head every night for the last three years, moving to avoid the sharp coils to get the two things that my…..maker had left me and the only gift I had ever received.

After a year of living with the old hag, she had left a tooth on my mattress, with a note saying that it was owned by my father and that my maker had left it for my birthday. I used to keep it on a string I had found on the street, but one of the bullies had seen me wearing it and tried to take it. After that, I had just left it in the mattress.

I walked back into the practice room where Zabuza waited, clutching my only possessions close to my chest. He was looking at some of the many dance trophies that stood proudly on their respectable shelf, shining brightly due to the hours that I spent the other day cleaning them.

"You know how to dance, kid?" he asked, seeing that I was ready to go.

I shrugged. "A bit…sir.? He was saving me from hell, the least I could do was be respectful.

"Mmm…does this place have a bath? I don't want to spend the whole trip smelling you."

I blushed in embarrassment, I was supposed to have a good sense of smell, but I suppose I had grown used to my own stench. "Umm, the old women has a tub, but I'm not supposed to use it and you have to haul your own water."

"Humph, kid, water is no problem and besides, you ain't going to be living here no more and since I am now in charge of you, and I say that you can break that rule. We need to hurry, so show me where it is already."

Well then, he had a point, so shrugging I directed him to where the tub was. Entering the small room that the woman used to wash up, Zabuza looked at the tub for a moment and then moved his hands really fast. Moments later the tub was filled with water, steam slowly rising from the surface. It must be a ninja thing.

After I bowed in thanks, he left the room so that I could shed my clothes. I stepped into the water, sighing from the heavenly feeling of the warm water cocooning itself around me. I got the sponge that was left on the side of the tub and the soap and rubbed myself till my skin was raw. My head got the same treatment with whatever was in the bottle on the side, I think it was lavender something. After that, I kept scrubbing myself until the water was brown with grime.

Stepping out of the tub, I shook myself dry as best I could since I could find no towels and wrinkled my nose as I lifted my dirty clothes off the floor. Hopefully, Zabuza would buy me something to wear that wasn't so…disgusting. Putting them on anyway, I walked towards the door when a flash of white in the mirror beside me caught my attention.

Cream colored skin still slightly red from the harsh scrubbing, covered high cheek bones. Green eyes, for once shining with life, were surrounded by a mass of snow-white hair that fell just past my shoulders, water still clinging to the ends. My body was tall for my age I guess but rail thin probably due to 3 years of starvation. I stared into my reflections eyes, determination filling me. I, Mizuki Kuran, monster, freak of nature, and orphan of three years, will become a shinobi and prove that I have worth, and never be bullied again.

"Ready," I said, grabbing my things that I had left outside the door. Jamming the envelope into the pockets of my shorts.

"Good. Haku will probably have something to fit you until we can get you some new things to wear that will fit…and are clean. And some gloves too, it looks like you need them."

So he had finally noticed, I curled my hands into fists, my nails pricking my skin. My fingernails were at least an half an inch from the tips of my fingers and ended in sharp points. They were a feature that my tormentors never ceased to point out when calling me a monster. I doubted gloves would work, but who knows, maybe.

Taking one last look at the place where I spent the last three years of my life, I sighed. There wasn't much to look at. Walking to Zabuza, he lifted me back onto his shoulders and jumped through a window. Was he allergic to leaving through a door?

As Zabuza jumped from roof to roof with the grace that only a ninja could possess, jarring me slightly each time, I watched as all the buildings faded away. Landing on the ground at the edge of the forest that surrounded my- the village, he took off down the only, road leaving the village as I took one last look. '_I don't even know its name.'_ I thought ruefully. As Zabuza kept walking, it slowly drifted out of view, I was leaving, forever.

When we reached Haku, I had almost fallen asleep on Zabuza's shoulders. This day had taken a lot out of me. Until he dropped me on my butt. Nice.

"You ready Mizuki-chan? Got what you needed?" Haku asked me, leaning against a tree.

Looking at my two new important people, I couldn't help but reply smiling a real smile, "No. I got everything I have ever wanted." _'I will make both of you proud of me.' _I promised silently. "Now let's go, Haku-kun, Zabuza-sama" Then I strode quickly down the road, turning left when the road forked.

When I heard laughing, I stopped and looked behind me. "That's great Mizuki-chan but…you're going the wrong way."

'_Great. And so my new life begins.' _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ok. So I don't really know if I am doing anything wrong or not with this story. Is it good, is it bad, I don't know because no one reviews. So would someone please review, I just want to hear what other people think. *Sigh*

Anyway, this chapter takes place six years later, which would make Mizuki 12 years old. She has been living and training with Zabuza and Haku as they travel and it starts right before the bridge arc. I hope you all like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Zabuza-sama, Haku-kun, I have finished preparing the yakizakana! Please come down before it gets cold," I yelled from our small kitchen. I scooped some rice into a bowl and waited for the boom of Zabuza descending the stairs and the lighter steps of Haku.

When I heard the thump that signaled Zabuza's presence, I turned and beamed. We were celebrating our newest mission, an easy kill with a big payout. Gato-san needed a bridge builder killed and had promised a hefty sum to whoever could "take care" of him first. The money from this would mean one more step closer to Zabuza's dream, which is a cause of celebration if there ever was one.

"Did you make sure it's done all the way this time? I don't think I can handle another bout of food poisoning." Zabuza grunted, walking into the kitchen, Haku following with a small smirk on his face. Jerks.

"That was one time! Moreover, if you don't like my cooking then you can cook for yourselves next time, then you will have a lot more to worry about than food poisoning. Honestly, you burn half of base camp one time and it follows you for the rest of your life." I muttered, slamming the bowl of rice on the table.

"Your cooking is wonderful, as always, is that not right, Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked, delicately nibbling on a piece of fish.

"Hmm" was the only response he got though, because at that moment Zabuza was demolishing the mountain of food I had prepared. Well, I guess it must taste okay, even though he would probably eat anything that didn't eat him first.

'_Men' _I thought. Settling into my chair, I grabbed a plate before there was nothing left.

"So, what's the plan, Zabuza-sama?" I asked, stretching out on the couch. I looked languidly over at Haku, who was leaning against the wall separating the kitchen and the living room and Zabuza who was relaxing in a chair, belly full and content. Now that lunch was over, we needed to make up a battle plan.

"The builder, name Tazuna, has traveled to the Village Hidden in the Leaves in the Land of Fire. More than likely, he has gone to hire a team to protect him, since Gato has made it clear that he wants him dead, although we have no definite confirmation on that fact. Since the Land of Waves can barely afford to feed itself, I believe it is safe to assume that they could only secure the skills of a Genin team, at best," said Zabuza.

"Doesn't sound like this is going to be very difficult, Gozu and Meizu should be able to handle them with no problem," I said. Even those idiots couldn't mess up a mission against a genin team. Surely.

"Exactly, Mizuki. Haku and I will stand by and confirm when the job is done. Then I'll collect the money from Gato and we will go on our way." He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, satisfied with thoughts of all those zeros dancing in his head. I, however, noticed one small thing about this plan.

"And where will I be during this plan, Zabuza-sama?" I was not about to be left behind on this one. Even if they were only going for confirmation, I had never been to Land of Fire, Zabuza claimed that they had too many patrols on the borders to travel there. Besides I was twelve now, I have been training with them for six years and I refuse to be treated as if I was a little girl who had to stay home to be protected.

"You will be staying in Land of Waves; this mission requires none of your skills. We know where the target is, so tracking is not needed and Haku may suffice as medic, if on the off chance Gozu or Meizu get injured. To be honest, Haku and I are going only as a precaution. You will be staying with Gato to ensure that he doesn't double cross us." He looked at me and I could tell that the discussion was over. Zabuza only looked at me that way when he wanted to get his point across. The point being that I needed to obey orders and keep my mouth shut.

"Don't be concerned, Mizuki-chan. It is just another boring mission… you will have more fun terrorizing Gato's men than going with us." Haku said, smiling reassuringly.

'I hope so' I thought, smiling back at Haku, motioned for me to follow him upstairs. I looked back at Zabuza and saw that he was staring out window, a thoughtful crease etched into his brow.

I turned and walked silently behind Haku up the stairs, and into Zabuza's room where we stored most of the supplies. Light poured in through the sole window, and Haku and I started to gather the basic equipment needed on any mission, kunai, shuriken, etc. Unrolling a scroll, I made the necessary hand signs, and packed everything together, rolled it back up, and handed it to Haku.

I sighed and watched as he packed the bags that we used for missions, a sense of dread washing over me the longer I stared.

'_Kami, I hope that this is going to play out the way we all hope' _I prayed silently as I handed another bag to Haku, who nodded in thanks.

'_Two days! Two freaking days!' _It had been two whole days since I had last heard from Zabuza and Haku. I looked in the mirror of my room's bathroom, flicking snowy white hair out of my eyes, scowling at my image. I scrubbed my face with a cloth, wiping the dirt off my face that had gathered after a, rather frustrating, training session.

Zabuza had sent a messenger bird two days ago, stating that Meizu and Gozu had failed to defeat the Konoha Nin, saying that the legendary Copy Nin was their team leader and had quickly defeated the Demon Brothers, leaving them tied to a tree and left for Konoha's ANBU to deal with. 'Tough break' I thought angrily. Zabuza would not help them out, not after them having screwed up so badly. He went on to say that, he and Haku would disable the team themselves and send word as soon as the mission was complete.

That was TWO days ago and I was getting antsy; they both knew I didn't like them being gone for so long without me. Ever since I had joined them, I had rarely left their sides, either training with Zabuza or learning the "boring shit," Zabuza's words, from Haku, who rather liked teaching. The few times that we were separated, had been for a few hours and that was during missions, so two days was really pushing it.

I stopped scrubbing and wrinkled my nose. Eck. Lavender soap, that ass Gato gave me lavender-scented soap. Ugh. I would like to shove his soap some place where the sun don't shine. My eyes glinted briefly, that would be fun, a lot more fun then waiting for two whole days for a scrap of news!

Its not that I had a problem with lavender or anything, it's just that scented soaps have an overpowering odor, especially since I had just used it on my face. Besides, most shinobi, or at least the ones I knew, even if that was not a large number and were all men, used scentless soap because it didn't leave a distinct scent behind, which would make it more difficult to trace.

I sighed, setting the cloth on the counter and walked into the spacious room Gato had given me upon my arrival and changed out of my sweaty training clothes. Tugging on my black overshirt and cinching my sash, I checked my staff, the stick that my maker had left me. I had discovered it was extendable during a training session with Haku; a small twist and it extended into a staff of about six feet in length. It had turned out to be an essential part of most of my ninjutsu and I kept it with me constantly, always by my side, in a leather sheath tied to my thigh.

Once everything was in place, I left the room in search of my "host." Even though he was a greedy bastard, and possibly a pervert, I still had to keep an eye on him, that was my job.

What I really wanted to do was to go back to the village; I had met a local boy named Inari. He took me fishing and had almost fallen into the water laughing when I tried to stab the fish with the pole he had loaned me. I blushed lightly in embarrassment at the memory. It was not my fault, I had never fished before, and it seemed a lot faster than the way he was doing it.

Turning at the corner, I almost bumped into one of Gato's hired goons…..Zori, I think his name was.

"Hey! Watch it bitc…Oh ummm never mind, watch where you're going, kid." Then he took off down the hall.

'_Do I stink?_' I thought. I sniffed my arm and scrunched up my nose.

"Freaking lavender soap" I muttered and proceeded to stomp down the hall, intent on finding my oh so generous "host."

Which didn't take too long, I have the nose of a bloodhound, or so Haku says, all I had to do was follow the smell of old man sweat and that repulsive cologne he seems so fond of bathing himself in. He was in one of the rooms in the east wing, in the direction that Zori had run, a.k.a. where I had just came from, damn. I stood in front of a door, confirming that he was behind it, due to his extremely loud voice reverberating through the wood. I waited, hoping to identify who Gato was talking,…yelling, at.

Until I caught the hint of ice and sandalwood and promptly opened the door, then was thrust against the wall by one of Gato's bodyguards.

"Mizuki-chan, didn't I teach you to knock first?" said Haku, who was standing near a bed, shielding its occupant from view.

I shoved the red faced guard…Waraji that was his name, away, and rushed to my teacher's side. I saw a tired-looking Zabuza frowning under his bandages, glaring first at Gato, then at me.

'Crap, he is pissed.'

I stepped back, my eyes on the floor, and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry Haku-san, Zabuza-sama, I became excited over your return and did not think of how rude it was. I apologize, Gato-san, for disturbing your meeting." I said, my nose almost touching the floor. Respect was something Zabuza liked, and it was the best way to get him to forgive someone.

"Exactly. You did not think. Now leave, you are not needed at this time," he said, turning his head and refusing to look at me.

I stared for a moment, and then exited the room soundlessly, bowing curtly to Gato on the way out. His words had stung, yes, but at least I now knew that neither of them was injured. I didn't smell any blood, so he must just be exhausted.

So I was back to waiting, I sat across the from the door, twirling a kunai on my fingers for entertainment. I really need to learn patience because two minutes in, I felt like just stabbing the kunai in my head and getting it over with. The suspense was killing me; it is not every day that your teacher takes down a legendary shinobi and is only slightly bedridden for his trouble.

Thankfully, I did not have to wait too long, five minutes after I was sent out, Gato, followed by his two goons, walked out.

"Girl, your master says that you may enter now," barked Gato who then turned sharply and disappeared.

'Not before he stunk up the whole hallway' I thought, scrunching my nose up at smell, wincing as my back popped when I stood up. I put my kunai back and walked into the room. Only to be once again shoved against the wall. I am sensing a pattern here.

"How many times have I told you not to just barge into places? Have I taught you nothing? One of those idiots could have seriously injured you and neither of us could have done anything" Haku shouted in my ear, a look of anger and worry painted on his face.

"I'm sorry Haku-kun, I've just been waiting for a while, and when I smelled you and Zabuza-sama, I couldn't wait anymore. I had to make sure that you were ok."

"You're sorry? Girl I…"

"Haku, that is enough, put the kid down, you should be resting, not screaming."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama." And he let me drop to the ground, patting my back as I massaged my shoulders. He had a tight grip that's for sure.

"Kid, come over here, I know you want to hear what happened." I walked over, kneeling foot of the bed, while Haku sat in a chair at the foot of the bed and closed his eyes.

"Now, before you ask, kid, no, the mission is not over yet. Kakashi lived up to his reputation and proved more difficult than I thought. Now," he leaned up in the bed, "his team is composed of himself, and two Genin. Tomorrow, Haku and I are going to handle them. And you must listen to me now, kid," He grabbed my shoulders and looked at me, his expression hard. I had a bad feeling.

"Kid. Where do you plan on going, if you can't stay with us?"

"I…wait what?" My mouth was gaping and I probably looked like a fish, but that didn't matter. What was he saying?

"I ...I guess I would go to Land of Water….But Zabuza-sama, what are you asking? I don't understand."

"Listen kid, first of all, you are not going to the Land of Water, Kiri Nin will kill you the first chance they get, from the moment they found out you were taught and raised by me. Calm down, I am speaking metaphorically, if you were unable to stay with us anymore, you must go to Konoha. It is probably the only village likely to take you in, since I know you will continue to be a ninja no matter what. I taught you too well and," he smiled a little under his bandages "you are too ram-headed to do anything else. Do you understand, Mizuki?"

"Yes. Yes sir. I understand." I looked down, a wave of anxiety washing over me. I hope he wasn't thinking what I thought he was.

"Good. Now kid, do you mind cleaning my sword? I'm tired and I know you enjoy it." He leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Yes, sir." I stood up and gripped the Executioner's Blade. Heaving it up, I carried it to a corner of the room .Getting a spare cloth and some polish, I set to work, clearing it of flecks of dried blood, to reveal its shine.

"Mizuki?" Haku said, looking at me curiously.

"Yes?"

"Are you wearing lavender?"

Freaking soap.

Alright. So if you liked the chapter, please review. I would really appreciate it alot lol.


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